U.S. position on Bt refuges

Officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have unveiled proposals to curb the emergence of insects resistant to the insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin. The position paper, which closely follows the agbio industry's voluntary code of practice, introduced in January, has attracted criticism from environmentalists.

The EPA and USDA Position Paper on Insect Resistance Management in Bt Crops sets out details for the creation of so-called refuges - areas of non-Bt producing crops planted adjacent to Bt-producing crops - for potatoes, corn, and cotton (see Online Links, A12). It is intended that such refuges would provide habitats where Bt-susceptible insects can survive and subsequently mate with any Bt-resistant insects and so help dilute the resistance trait in the total pest population...